April 17, 2013

Big Story Weather – April 17, 2013

Big Story Weather from April 16: Another round of snow arrived in the Northern Plains and extended back towards Colorado. Severe weather also fired up over the Southern Plains. The rest of the country enjoyed a nice Spring day.

Big Story Weather Discussion for April 17: Low pressure moving over Western Texas will bring showers and thunderstorms to the Southern Plains, while showers will also extend eastward through the Tennessee River Valley. Heavy snow will develop from Colorado and push northeastward towards the Northern Plains. Some place here could see anywhere from six to twelve inches and even more in isolated places. The West Coast will enjoy another day under the influence of high pressure which will bring partly cloudy skies to the region.

Here is the weather for a few select cities:

Baltimore MD: Partly cloudy with a high near 61F and low temps will be around 50F.

Dallas TX: Mostly cloudy skies with afternoon thunderstorms. High temps will be around 74F and low temps will fall to near 70F. Total rainfall will be around 1.25 inches.

Sioux Falls SD: Mostly cloudy with snow which may be heavy at times. High temps around 34F and lows will be around 30F. Total snowfall will be around 5-8 inches.

Billings MT: Partly cloudy with a high near 30F with overnight lows around 27F.

Portland OR: Partly cloudy with a high near 53F with overnight lows around 45F.

April 17, 2013 Storm Tracker Update:

Atlantic Basin: Low pressure moving across Western Europe will bring showers to the region and stronger winds. Low pressure moving out of Northeast Canada will bring showers to Canada and also towards Greenland. Another area of low pressure moving out of the Rockies will bring snow, rain and thunderstorms to the region.

Eastern Pacific: Low pressure moving through the Southern Gulf of Alaska will bring moderate rain and snow to Southern Alaska, while showers start to expand eastward towards the West Coast of Canada.

Western Pacific: Low pressure moving towards the dateline will bring showers to Midway Island, while another area of low pressure will be moving across Japan bringing showers to the region. A third area of low pressure is moving across Central Russia and will bring snow showers to the region. Low pressure moving out of the Middle East will bring another day of blowing dust across the region.

Indian Ocean: A strong area of low pressure is moving along the monsoonal trough and will bring showers to portions of Southeast Asia from Thailand and Singapore.

Southern Hemisphere: Multiple areas of low pressure are moving along the basin. One area of low pressure will bring showers to Argentina, while another area will bring showers and stronger winds to South Africa. Another area of low pressure will bring showers and winds to Perth Australia. A fourth low pressure area is going to bring cool weather and showers to portions of New Zealand.

Five-Day Storm Index Outlook for April 17-21:

Baltimore MD: The period will start impact free, however by the April 18-19 the region will see showers move in which will bring a slight impact to the area.

Dallas TX: The next two days the region will see moderate impacts with thunderstorms, some of which may become severe.

Sioux Falls SD: The region will see moderate impacts over the next couple of days with periods of heavy snow and blowing snow which will lead to blizzard-like conditions across the area.

Billings MT: The period will start impact free, but by April 19-21 showers will move into the area which will bring slight impacts to the region.

Portland OR: The region will start impact free, however by April 18-19 the region will see slight impacts associated with rain showers. The period will then finish impact free.

Climate Watch for April 12-16:

Baltimore MD: The period started with temps around 2 degrees below normal followed by a warming trend with temps around 2-3 degrees above normal before falling to around 3 below normal on April 15, then finished the period with temps about 9 degrees above normal.

Dallas TX: The past five days the region enjoyed temperatures around 5-15 degrees above normal.

Sioux Falls SD: The period has seen temps about 17-25 degrees below normal for the past five days.

Billings MT: The past five days the region has seen temps around 5-28 degrees below normal.

Portland OR: The past five days the region has seen temps around 2-9 degrees below normal.

Major Weather Impacts Discussion for April 17, 2013:

Day 1-3: A strong area of low pressure moving out of the Southwest will bring moderate rain and thunderstorms to the Southern Plains. An increased chance of severe weather will also be present in this region. Snow will develop from Colorado northeastward into the Plains. This region could be dealing with snowfall rates around 12-16 inches along with strong winds which will lead to blizzard conditions. The West Coast will enjoy one more nice day. Day two the storm system will move into the Great Lakes bringing showers from Chicago southward to the Gulf Coast, Severe weather will be possible from the Great Lakes to the Tennessee River Valley. Snow showers will be heavy around the Western Lakes back into portions of the Northern Plains. High pressure will build in over the Rockies, while another clipper system moves into the Pacific Northwest which will bring showers to the region. The cold front will extend across the East Coast during this period bringing showers and some thunderstorms to the region. High pressure will build in over Eastern Texas bringing mild weather to the region. The clipper system will move through Montana and Wyoming bringing rain and snow to the region.

Day 4-7: The period will start with high pressure building in over the Great Lakes, while the clipper system moves through the Northern Plains bringing light rain and snow to the region. A new storm system will develop out West. Day five high pressure will be along the East Coast, while the clipper system moves into the Great Lakes bringing rain and snow to the region. The new storm system will move into the Southwest creating a wide spread area of rain and snow over the Rockies. Day six the back side of the high pressure will be over the East Coast bringing another nice day for the region. As the storm system moves into Missouri expect to see a large area of rain and thunderstorms develop along this front with the potential of severe weather looking likely. A few snow showers will be in place over Colorado in the higher elevations. By day six the storm system will move into the Great Lakes bringing rain and thunderstorms to the region. Expect some severe weather from the Tennessee River Valley to the Gulf Coast. High pressure will begin building in over the Rockies. The period will finish with the low pressure area moving into the East Coast bringing rain and thunderstorms from New York all the way to the Gulf Coast with the severe weather possible in the Southeast and Gulf Coast region. High pressure will build back in over the Plains.

Day 8-12: The period will start with a significant storm system along the East Coast with plenty of rain and thunderstorms in the region. Severe weather may be possible from the Mid-Atlantic into Florida. High pressure will dominate from the Mississippi River Valley all the way to the West Coast. Day nine the storm system will exit the Northeast with a few showers lingering in the region. High pressure will dominate most of the United States with nice weather and some places could be dealing with below normal temps. Another clipper system will begin to push into the Northwest. Day ten high pressure will build in from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast and up the East Coast, while another clipper system moves into Montana and the Northern Plains. Moisture should be limited with this system as the Gulf of Mexico will be closed during this time. Day eleven the clipper system moves into Central Canada and the associated cold front extends through the Northern Plains. The Gulf will finally allow for some moisture to return northward bringing rain showers to the Dakotas.

Long Range Outlook: The long range will start with high pressure along the East Coast, while a storm system moves into the Northern Plains bringing rain and thunderstorms to the region. The period will finish with high pressure along the East Coast forcing another storm system through the Northern Plains to finish the long range period with more showers and thunderstorms in the area.

Today's Spotlight Forecast is for Los Angeles CA:

Wednesday: Partly cloudy with a high near 68F. Winds will be from the northeast 9-14mph as overnight lows drop to near 54F.

Thursday: Partly cloudy with a high near 74F. Winds will be from the northwest 5-10mph as overnight lows drop to near 58F.

Friday: Mostly cloudy with a high near 78F. Winds will be from the southwest 5-10mph as overnight lows fall to around 59F.

Saturday: Partly cloudy with a high near 77F. Winds will be from the southwest 5-10mph as overnight lows fall to around 54F.

Sunday: Partly cloudy with a high near 74F. Winds will be from the southeast 2-7mph as overnight lows fall to around 54F.

Ask The Weatherman for April 17, 2013:

Question: When is the first day of summer?

Answer: For the Northern Hemisphere we will start our summer on June 21. That is the longest day of sunlight across the Northern Hemisphere. The Southern Hemisphere starts their summer on December 21.

*** To have your question of the day answered or have your city spotlighted for the day make sure to visit redOrbit on Facebook. ***

Green Energy Weather Report for April 17, 2013:

Wave Energy: The Northeast will have around 127mwh, while the Mid-Atlantic will see about 219mwh. The Southeast will be around 321mwh, while the Gulf Coast will be around 147mwh. The Southwest will have a range of around 1287mwh and the Northwest will be around 867mwh.

Solar Energy: The best places for solar energy today will be the Northeast back towards the Ohio River Valley and then along the Mid-Atlantic region southward into the Southeast and along a good portion of the Gulf Coast. The West Coast will also enjoy another day of solar energy.

Wind Energy: The strongest winds today will be behind the cold front in New Mexico and also over the Northern Rockies behind the low pressure center.

Hydro-Energy: A large push of short term rainfall will occur from the Southern Plains back into portions of the Southwest. A large area from Colorado to the Northern Plains will have areas of heavy snow which will lead to long term energy.

April 17 Weather and Your Wallet (Minneapolis MN):

Another winter storm is moving into the region. Expect to see heavy snowfall during the next couple of days.

Dining: This morning will be ok before the snow begins to fall. By this evening expect to stay in and eat dinner at home.

Transportation: This morning´s commute will be fine, however by noon time and this evening expect to see some delays as the snow will be falling heavily. There could be some accumulations on the road during this time.

Shopping: This morning would be the best time to get what you need for the day before the storms move in.

Electricity: Look for moderate impacts today with the heavy snow and winds that could knock some power lines down creating power outages. Heating use will be high today with the forecasted HDD´s around 31.5.

Yard Work: No yard work today. If you plan to go out and move snow off the driveway and sidewalks make sure to take it slow and easy as this is the time when heart trouble could occur.

Construction: This morning will be the best time to get those outdoor projects done before the heavy snow moves into the region.

Outdoor Venues: This morning would be the best time to get the dog out for a walk. This afternoon the winds and snow are going to make it a challenge.